Executrix of



(No Model.)

D. W. KOLBE, Deod.

H. M. KOLBE, executrix.

ARTIFICIAL ARM.

Patented Apr. 4,1882.

Mgvemom ATTORNEY.

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N. FETERS. Fhato-Uthogmpher. Wuhinglufl, D. C.

UNITED 1 'IATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

HEDWIG M. KOLBE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, EXECUTRIX OF 7 DIETRIOHV. KOLBE DEOEASED.

ARTIFICIAL ARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,796, dated April 4,1882.

Application filed January 14, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that DIETRIOH\V.KOLBE,L16- ceased, formerly a citizen oftheUnited States, and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania, in vented a new and useful Improvement inArtificial Arms, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification and accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is asideelevation, partly sectional horizontally, of the artificial armembodying the invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section thereof in linea: 0:, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof in line y 1,Fig. 1. 7

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

Thisinvention consistsin operatingthemechanism of the fingers of thehand of an artificial arm by means of ajointed bar, which is attached tothe shoulderof the other arm and adapted to conform to the motions ofthe elbow,

It also consists of a secure and convenientlyoperated attachment for thehand and wrist portion.

g It further consists of a peculiar fastening for themechanism of thehand and operating-bar thereof.

It also consists of means for easily opening the hand, quickly closingthe same, and firmly holding the parts when closed.

' Referring to the drawings, A represents the socket of an artificialarm, adapted to receive the stumpof the natural forearm, and Brepresents the fastening-band, to be strapped or otherwise secured tothe natural arm, the socket and band being pivoted together by means ofthe straps to, the joints or pivots whereof are shown at I) b. One ofthe pivots b has con nected or formed with it an eye, 0, which isadapted to turn with the pivot and-constitute a swivel, through which ispassed one portion of a jointed bar, D, the upper end whereof isattached to a strap, E, whose length is sufficient to reach the shoulderof the other arm around the back of the wearer, and is provided withbuckles or other fnstenings for securing it to said shoulder.

To the lower end of the barD is pivoted a sliding tubular piece, F,whichis fitted between guides at d, which are formed with or secured to ametal plate, G, the latter being riveted or otherwise firmly connectedto the socket A at the wrist portion thereof, it being noticed that theguides extend in the longitudinal direction of the arm. I

To the under or inner side of the tubular piece F is secured a spring,H, having at its forward end a nose, 6, which, when in its normalposition, enters an opening,f, in the wall of the tubular piece F, andengages with the sliding bar J of the hand K, the mechanism of whichopens and closes the hand being connected to said sliding bar J.

The wrist end of the socket is covered and strengthened by ametal plate,L, which is se cured to said socket and the straps a, and has an openingfor the sliding bar J, and a central opening for the pin M, by which thehand is attached to the socket, said pin being secured to the plate L ofthe hand, and having a neck, g, which is engaged by a spring-catch, N,on the inner face of the plate L, said catch being pivoted to a block,P, secured to the plate L, the block having an opening coinciding withthe central opening in the plate L, the catch having a similar openingwhich registers with the opening of the plate L and block P when thecatch is forced back, for which purpose a button, N, is formed with orsecured to the catch, and is conveniently accessible at the side of thesocket A. Consequently, when the catch N is forced back, the pin M maybe passed through the openings of the plate L and block P, and when thecatch is let go the wall ofits opening engages with the neck of the pin,thus securing the hand to the socket. A pin, Q, projects from the plateL and enters an opening in the plate L, or vice versa, thus preventingrotation of the hand on the socket. When the pin M is forced into itsopening in the plate L the bar J enters the respective opening in saidplate, and is directed into the tubular piece F, thus forcing out thenose e until said nose is opposite the opening 0 of the sliding bar,said nose then springing into the opening 6 and connecting the bar J andjointed bar D.

When the hand is to be disconnected from the socket the nose-carryin gspring H is forced in by the button H thereofaud moved upward or inward,the bar J readily sliding in the eye or swivel G,thus releasing thenoseefrom said bar J. The button N is now forced in, thus moving thecatch N clear of the pin M, and the hand may then be drawn away from thesocket. When the socketAis in position on the forearm and held by theband B, and the strap E is connected to the shoulder, and the handattached to the socket, the bar J of the hand mechanism may be operatedto open the hand by extending or moving forward the stump of the naturalarm. The strap E, controlled by the shoulder, offers resistance to theforward movement of the jointed bar D. Consequently the advancing socketA causes the sliding bar J to be drawn into the same, whereby motion isimparted to the mechanism of the hand, so

" closing the fingers, in which movement the bar J is drawn back and thejointed bar I) carried forward with it.

The mechanism for opening and closing the fingers of-the hand is asfollows, the palm being hollow to contain said mechanism: The slidingbar J, which has been referred to, has pivoted to it an upright arm, J,which is pivoted to the wall of the palm, and to said arm is pivoted alongitudinally extending arm, it, to whose forwai (1 end is pivoted anelbow-lever, S. The rear end of said elbow-lever is pivoted to a link,S, and the front end is connected to a plate, T, which is mounted on ahorizontal axis, h, the latter extending transversely and connected tothe wall of the palm. The forward end of the plate T engages with leversV, which are securely fixed to the fingers W, the latter being pivotedto the palm, the object of said levers V being to operate the fingers atthe knuckles. In the present case the levers are in pairs, connected bya crossbar, 70, and the plate T rests on the two crossbars andsimultaneously operates the levers.

On the axis h are coiled springs T, one end of each of which isconnected to the wall of the palm, and the other bears upwardly againstthe cross-bar 7c, and consequently against the plate T, for restoringall the parts to their normal positions.

To the link S is pivoted a lever, V, which is securely fixed to thethumb W, it being seen that the levers V V are adapted to operate inreverse order and separate the thumb and fingers when the hand is to beopen.

The second joints of the index and second fingers, and of all theremaining fingers, if desired, are pivoted to the third joints, andthrough the latter joints are passed levers X, the inner end of each ofwhich is pivoted to the palm, as at m. The forward end of the lever X ispivoted to a crank-piece, Y, which is pivoted to the wall of the thirdjoint, said piece having a forward extension, Z, which enters the secondjoint, and is securely connected thereto, the crank-piece havingshoulders n, which are adapted to abut against a stud, p, within thethird joint, for limiting the motions of the second joint.

It will be seen that when the stump of the natural arm is moved forwardand the sliding bar J is drawn back by the jointed bar D, as has beenstated, the elbow-lever S is moved downward and rearward. This advancesthe lever V of the thumb, and also depresses the plate T, andconsequently the lever V of the fingers, thus moving the thumb andfingers in opposite directions and opening the hand. Simultaneouslytherewith the opening motion of the third joints, owing to the pivotalconnection of the levers X with the palm and crankpieces Y, causes therotation of the latter, whereby the second joints turn on the thirdjoints and straighten out, thus more closely simulating the openingmotion of the .human hand. When the stump of the human arm is drawn backthe bar J is relieved of draft, whereby the spring T is operative andthe several levers, &c., and the fingers and thumb quickly return totheir normal positions, it being noticed that the power of the spring isfirst exerted on the cross-bar k, so that the joints of the fingers areforcibly closed and held closed, and then transmitted to the plateT, andthus to the elbow-levers and connected parts, the lever V of the thumb,the sliding bar J, and the barD, to which the strap E is connected.

What is claimed as new and as the invention of DIETRICH W, KoLBE,deceased, is

1. Hand mechanism provided with a bar, J, in combination with thesocket, thejointed bar D, and the swivel-eye O, substantially as and forthe purpose set forth.

2. The perforated wrist-pla-teL and the wristplate L, with the pin M,having neck g,in combination with the perforated pivoted springcatch N,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

The sliding bar of the socket and the sliding bar of the hand mechanism,in combination with the sliding tubular piece F, having a spring-nose,c, and operating-button, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The thumb and finger leversVV,in combination with the hinged plate T,the elbowlever S, the arm R, the link S, the arm J, the sliding bar J,and the springs T, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The palm and the third joints, with the pivoted levers V,incombination with the second joints, the pivoted levers X, and thecrankpieces Y Z, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HEDWIG M. KOLBE, I Ewecutriw. Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, A. P. GRANT.

